The marching bands will roll / I’ll find my city in my soul August 29, 2007
Posted by charmingbutsingle in Random Musings on Life.trackback
(Title stolen from Cowboy Mouth, “The Avenue”)
Today is two years since Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans and much of the surrounding areas and changed the lives of many people on the Gulf Coast – we Gulf Coasters divide time as “pre Katrina” and “post Katrina.” I scarcely remember a time when Katrina was just a name and not a life-changing storm. And I’m not even from New Orleans, nor was I affected other than my family’s lost homes, living in an evacuee-heavy town, thinking about hurricanes every day for two years and watching a place I love suffer so completely.
I say a little prayer each night before I go to sleep for New Orleans and all of the people who where affected from one end of the coast to the next. I wish on stars for them, I cry for them more than I care to admit. Rebuilding takes time – it is never fast enough, it will never be fast enough, it could never be fast enough. But as a life-long admirer of a city full of the richest food, the most vibrant music, the best energy and the most relaxed pace of anyplace you’ll ever go, my heart is as anxious to heal.
I wish I had some eloquent words to say, something meaningful to offer on this anniversary. Someone else is better suited for that.
But I’ll leave you with a toast I shared with friends when I was lucky enough to be in the Big Easy recently.
“Here’s to being to this great, great city, where so many people would love to be right now.”
Let’s hope by this time next year, the city and the surroundings are fully healed.
Well said. I think that’s how the rest of us feel, we ache for New Orleans because of what the city means to us as visitors.
exactly.
Nicely phrased. You make me want to be there too.
I think that was quite eloquent and meaningful. I certainly would love to be back in NOLA again.
I put out my flag in honor of a lost city, and the largest citizen evacuation since, yes, the Civil War. It rained. Naturally. The flag got drenched by the time I got home to take it in. Me, I know Katrina was only part of the problem. NOLA survived a glancing blow from Katrina. It was the Federal funded levees & MR GO that failed After the storm that then went on to funnel water into & then flood the city. That’s where the responsibility truly lies, with All of us. And yet the Federal Government likes to try and deny any and all responsibility for their collective failure. And the levees are Still not safe, and not up to protecting the city from even another ‘Class 3′ storm event. Incompetence kills as much as indifference. When you’re behind the 8 ball, you get a double dose of both from the idiots who run the government. The only saving grace has been the volunteers from all around the country who are helping to slowly rebuild this great city. It’s not enough, but it’s almost all we’ve got most days. We did better in the ‘27 Flood with Hoover. Would that we had a man like Herbert Hoover in the WH today. Strangely enough, we’d be better off! (And that’s a pretty sad commentary on the present state of affairs!)
Geez, I even forgot to sign that one. Cheers & Good Luck! ‘VJ’ (For more on Herbert Hoover & the Great 1927 Flood, see HNN.us for the history).
amen, sister.
What happened was disastorous, but I feel the aftermath was worse. The way it was handled and how people still have to live in horrible conditions just makes my heart ache. I join you in this prayer, amen
I think every single day, about my friends who had just recently brought their newborn baby boy home to a brightly decorated “tropical” themed baby room, when Katrina hit. They fled with few possessions, thinking “Oh, it’ll blow over like all the rest and we’ll go home soon”.
They spent the next year….YEAR… living off and on out of hotels, staying with friends and constantly on the move. Fighting with the insurance companies about their underwater house, car and possessions. I still cry when I think about the pictures of the baby’s nursery, water lines up the ceiling and mud 3 feet deep on the floor. Hell..they found a freakin’ canoe in their kitchen!
And yet, they survived, they are doing well and little baby boy has grown up to be the most amazing baby ever (which says a lot since I’m SO not a “kid person”). Love for each other and the love of friends and family helped keep them strong.
I pray every day for those who haven’t been so lucky.
Katrina follow up & aftermath news for NOLA & the entire Gulf Coast can be found here: [http://www.southernstudies.org/facingsouth/] and in their very informative Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch here:
[http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/labels/Gulf%20Coast%20Reconstruction%20Watch.asp]
I reprint their latest missive below:
“Thursday, August 30, 2007
The Katrina Index: Making a living
From the Institute’s report, Blueprint for Gulf Renewal: The Katrina Crisis and a Community Agenda for Action, released this week.
Economy and Jobs
Number of jobs lost in the New Orleans area since Hurricane Katrina: 118,000
Percent of stores, malls and restaurants that remain closed in New Orleans: 25
Value of Gulf Opportunity Zone projects approved to date in Louisiana to stimulate business recovery: $4.5 billion
Number of GO Zone projects located in New Orleans: 1
Number of luxury condos a developer plans to build with GO Zone tax breaks near the University of Alabama, four hours from the coast: 10
Months after Katrina struck that the Small Business Administration finished processing loan applications submitted for the storms: 21
Percent of Katrina contracts that went to Louisiana small businesses as of April 2007, prompting the Department of Homeland Security to pledge an increase in contract awards: 12.5
Percent that went to Louisiana small businesses four months later: 7.4
Number of Katrina contracts that federal agencies claimed had gone to Louisiana small businesses, but were later revealed to have gone to big companies or ineligible recipients: 259
Value of wages the U.S. Labor Department has recovered from contractors that failed to pay their employees: $5.4 million
Rank of Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” Casino and Resort among largest private development projects proposed on the Mississippi coast: 1
Rank of “can’t pay for move” among reasons those displaced by Katrina say they aren’t coming back to Louisiana: 1
Labels: Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch, katrina two year anniversary”
Cheers, VJ
A shame we only see news about the rebuilding now when the anniversary came. Things are still bad for many people, mismanagement runs rampant, and we never hear about it. The National Memory seems to get shorter and shorter with each year. How long until the day warrants no more than a short blurb and tiny headline, followed by what passes for news in this celebrity obssessed society?
Cheers to all who are making things work down there again.
Tag!
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amen sister!
As a self-proclaimed southern culture obsessed girl from Northern California, I too pray for the citizens of the Gulf Coast. We had friends in Ocean Springs and Biloxi that will never be able to go back to the town they grew up in, and that breaks my heart. I loved NOLA and can’t wait to go back. Here’s to a damn strong people and a bright future for all of them. Wish I were there right now!
Very well said. I must not live far from you because what you wrote is what I experienced as well.
Meanwhile, entire towns were wiped out in Mississippi (where the full brunt of the storm hit), yet no tears or prayers for them, huh?
That is so true… I still can’t believe watching on TV all that happened in New Orleans… It seemed like a movie instead of the news… I couldn’t believe it.
Chris, Post #11 mentions & refers to the Entire Gulf Coast. That’s why it’s called Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch. Cheers, ‘VJ’
http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/labels/Gulf%20Coast%20Reconstruction%20Watch.asp
Thanks, VJ, but you skipped over the fact that by I was commenting on Charming’s post. I regularly skip your comments (not your post, Charming posted, you commented. There is a difference) as they are extraneous and unnecessarily long, Don’t you have your own site? Anyway, your comment #11 only mentions Mississippi once and that was about a casino. I was pointing out that Charming prays and cries for NOLA, but apparently Mississippi and Alabama (also victimized by Katrina) be damned.
Chris, if you would have bothered to read my post instead of jumping in to make a snippy comment, you would have realized that I wrote: “I say a little prayer each night before I go to sleep for New Orleans and all of the people who where affected from one end of the coast to the next. I wish on stars for them, I cry for them more than I care to admit.”
Last time I checked, Mississippi was considered to be a part of the Gulf Coast, which is the “from one end of the coast to the next” that I referenced in the above statement and post. I mentioned New Orleans because I it is a place that I have loved for a long time, because I have family from the area, because my family lost homes in the area and because I just happened to be there mere days before I wrote this. Obviously I don’t list out zip codes when I pray or shed a tear for people who lost everything.
But I thank you, Chris, for taking a moment of reflection on my personal experience in a very tragic time and being snide.
Oh, and obviously we commented at the same time … but if my geography is correct, Alabama is also included on the “Gulf Coast.” And I was technically also referring to the parts of Texas affected three weeks later by Hurricane Rita, which also hit Louisiana.
I’m glad we cleared that up … I will remember to be VERY specific the next time I express sorrow.
The project that I linked too is very comprehensive in their studies & reports. It covers the entire Gulf Coast, as few people can or have when reporting on the disaster. And why all the focus on NOLA? Because it was a Federal failure and not strictly a Natural disaster. The levees & MR GO are Federal responsibilities. Now disasters are calamities no matter how experienced or caused. There was just more death (much more) and more destruction (on a net cost basis per capita) in & around NOLA, so naturally people focus on it. But yes, everyone is deserving of our prayers for recovery & our efforts to help in that regard. The point I was making was that more than 100 years on, we did better in the Great SF Earth Quake of 1906. See HNN.US in that regard. The government’s reconstruction effort has been lax, late & overall pathetic. Everywhere. But hey, no one reads this stuff anyway, so why bother even noticing? Cheers, ‘VJ’
Can I say douchebag here? Chris, you’re a douchebag. Since the defense was mounted, I felt it necessary to hurl a stone. Especially since VJ beat me to the point of NOLA being the face on the disaster. Damn you VJ!
And I read (almost) every time, VJ.
Douchebag? LOL! If that is all you can think of to say then I guess it is no surprise that you are a loyal VJ follower. You two seem to deserve each other.
As for Charming, I was just busting her chops. She should know that as we’ve done that sort of thing before. So, if you were offended, my dear, then I apologize.
I’m not going to carry this discussion any further as VJ only seems to know what he can cut and paste, wailin can only hurl lame insults. Nothing constructive can possible come from either.
And you’re right it won’t, because if all you want to do is bust some chops you will get facts, different interpretations, and more ‘lame insults’ (actually it was name calling as an insult is a little more wordy).
And with no further ado, I quote Mad Martigan “Out of the way, peck!”
And wailin underscores my point perfectly. Thanks!
‘VJ only seems to know what he can cut and paste’, hmm not really Chris. Much of what I know has not made it to the web in an easily accessible form. But hey, it’s all part of this very strange activity called Learning. You might try some sometime. In the meanwhile there’s this on a comparison of US natural disasters: [http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2006/4/2006_4_26.shtml]
And this on relief efforts to SF during & after the quake,
[http://www.nps.gov/archive/prsf/history/1906eq/relief.htm]
[http://americahurrah.com/SanFrancisco/MunicipalReports/1906/Index.htm]
which were swift and effective. In 1906. And it was dispatched within Hours by the Federal Government. Which may have had a few dozen phones by then, as most of the communication traffic was then by telegraph. So think about that. Teddy Roosevelt, working with 100+ yo technology Beat Bush time wise to the greatest disaster of his presidency. (Well, besides the miserable war Bush dragged and lied us into in Iraq).
Again, once upon a time arguments needed something know quaintly as ‘facts’. Before they were invented or manufactured wholesale by ‘official’s of government propaganda ministries to support one idiocy or grand theft or another. We used to gain this knowledge by Reading. Then we’d Quote the relevant passages in articles in scholarly journals to support arguments and interpretations of ‘what went on in history’. Only to have nice folks you yourself come along and remind us daily that ‘history is bunk’ and ‘Oh why bother with all that reading ‘n stuff!?’ Indeed why. Because you’re not educated without it. Because you’re stupider and probably poorer for not knowing it. But hey, lots of folks like it like that! Cheers, ‘VJ’
Wow, Chris. This must really be keeping you up at night. For someone who says ‘No more’ you did post again. Glad I’m not so touchy myself.
LOL! VJ copies & pastes and wailin insults. Classic. Flip the record over sometime folks. You are becoming parodies of yourselves. I’ll bet VJ replies to this by pasting something and wailin will reply but not really say anything…as usual.
VJ: At what point did I say history is bunk? What you are doing is known as a straw man argument.
wailin: I never said I wouldn’t post again. I said I wouldn’t maintain that discussion. If you are relatively literate you will notice that I did, in fact, stop discussing it. If, by your logic, replying equals being touchy then obviously you are so touchy.
Citations vs ‘cut & paste’ passages? Which is it that bothers you so much? And if you absolutely hate and disdain the apparatus of scholarship and history, can’t we easily infer that you Do think history (& scholarship & learning…etc) is bunk? So those things up there in my immediate prior post? They’re called Citations, only now, thanks to the web, I don’t need a citations list or bibliography, I can just give the site where the information appears. I can either Type them in or yes, ‘cut and paste’ them when Citing them to support an argument. Your objection is akin to saying ‘why I bet he types something responding to this’. Idiocy. But hey, I did all this w/o cut and pasting once! So you lose again. Cheers, ‘VJ’
VJ, you aren’t making an argument. You are cutting and pasting.
“And if you absolutely hate and disdain the apparatus of scholarship and history, can’t we easily infer that you Do think history (& scholarship & learning…etc) is bunk?” = Straw man
It is sad that in your attempt to post a comment that contained only your original thoughts and not just simply pasting what others have written, you make up such drivel. You seem pretty good a using Google. Why don’t you use it to look up what a “straw man” argument is so you won’t keep trying to use over and over. To use it twice in a row is just pathetic, especially after being busted for using it.
Chris, Your level of argument is pathetic, and in None of your comments do you present any Facts. Just name calling. Again, not really any argument, and nothing presented to support any of your thoughts. That’s kindergarten crap. You scarcely understand what it is that you’re accusing me of. You ARE the straw man. Only Ray Bolger was way more intelligent. Drivel is what you do, and what we’ve seen from you here so far. I can scarcely think of anyone using the net who does not use Google every 15-20 min or so. This to you is some sort of ‘indictment’ however. That’s the kind of special misunderstanding we in the wider world know and appreciate as ‘really dim’ and ’stupid’. If you’re not ‘good at google’ or in searching for things on the Net, you’re not fit for any modern day employment. But that would not bother you much I’m betting, right? Cheers, VJ
GEEZ, guys. Enough already!
Hi Charming,
I was just wondering of you’re going to post anything new sometime soon. I love your blog and check it pretty much daily. Hope all is well and that we hear from you again soon!
~ A Canadian Single Gal
ps. I very rarely read any comments on the blogs that I read (I much prefer to keep my opinions to myself)… are your commentors always so chatty and opinionated? ha ha…makes me glad that I usually don’t bother!
Just wanted to say that your blog was beautifully written, as always. And also as always, I could feel your emotions while reading your words. I too am still saddened by the aftermath of Katrina and all other hurricanes that devastated the south. My heart weeps for those who were affected and continue to be affected.
You deserve nothing else but praise for your wonderful work that I enjoy reading as often as possible.
Keep moving people with your writing.
SINY
where are you ? no new posts for sometime now.
Hang in there, Charming. That lucrative “book/movie of the blog” deal should be in the post anyday now.
Miss you Charming… Post away …hows the dating life? Work ok? have you bought a new outfit lately? what do you think of the weather? any big fall plans? seen any good movies? download any new music? do you think the cubs can win the central? try any new microbrews, or wine? If a guy aproached you and said, “Hey, I need a female opinion, my friend’s girlfriend is all upset because he still has a box of pictures of himself with his ex, just normal pictures, and wants him to throw them out, do you think that’s fair? (this is a pickup routine I was told works, because it is suppose to relate to women?? and you would not being thinking that the guy who just asked this was hitting on you) ha…I haven’t tried it, sounds kinda creepy…ha..Miss ya…post